IDF evacuates illegal outpost, only to see it rise from the ashes by afternoon

"Disgusting, a disgrace for the State of Israel," was how one of the residents of Maoz Esther, an outpost near the settlement of Kochav HaShachar, east of Ramallah, described the bulldozing of seven buildings, thus evacuating the five families and several youth living there.

The illegal outpost, evacuated yesterday without violence, was repopulated by the afternoon. MK Michael Ben Ari (National Union), arrived on site and placed a mezuzah on a new wooden structure, declaring "this is my duty as a legislator."

"The evacuation is not related to U.S. pressure but to the obligations of Israeli society to itself," Defense Minister Ehud Barak explained yesterday. Barak noted that the removal of the outpost is part of the defense establishment's routine operations.

"When an outpost is set up and there is activity there, it must be removed immediately and that is what we did," Barak said.

The defense minister added that the heads of the Yesha Council were told by the government that illegal outposts would not be tolerated, nor would outposts on private Palestinian land. Barak said these will be the first to be removed.

"It is desirable that the handling be done through dialogue, but if there is no dialogue it will be done via unilateral action on our part," he explained.

It might be comforting for the settlers at the outposts to remember that this is not the first time their outpost was removed - it has already happened five other times.

Nonetheless, this is the first time the defense establishment has decided to raze an outpost under the premiership of Benjamin Netanyahu, and with Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister, in a predominantly right-wing coalition. With the exception of the head of the Defense Ministry, the government is a right-wing government, and many would describe it as extremely right wing.

The few residents on site when the bulldozers arrived noted that the special police forces that accompanied the heavy equipment did not use violence.

"They come when people are at work," a woman who refused to identify herself said.

Her friend explained that "in the hilltop across there are illegal structures," pointing to tin huts belonging to Bedouin from the area. "But that doesn't bother anyone. If we dressed up as Bedouin they wouldn't say anything."

"Do you know what the law is?" a settler at the outpost asked. "I follow the laws of the Torah and they are absolute. To settle the Land of Israel. We are well aware what happens with the laws of people. What was legal about evacuating Gush Katif?"

As she spoke, new structures were being built in the background. By the afternoon the work was done, with two homes put up.

However, Barak's problem is not Maoz Esther, but the larger outposts. A fifteen minute drive from the small outpost, one finds Migron, set up on one of the hilltops overlooking the Ramallah bypass road. At the entrance to the illegal outpost is a large metal yellow door, which state funds paid for. The guard at the gate is an IDF soldier. When he realizes we are press, he asks us to leave.

Forty families live in Migron, set up on private Palestinian land belonging to the residents of the nearby villages of Ein Yabrud and Burka.